Bridge Partners - Executive Search’s Post

This is a fascinating read for any community oriented small business owner or nonprofit leader. The idea highlighted in the article is to make commercial space ownership available for small businesses and nonprofits in areas with extensive gentrification through share based community ownership. Because of the high real estate prices and rental rates in these areas, it's very difficult for these organizations to startup and survive. As a small business owner myself, I could see this being very beneficial for those that can't operate out of their homes. Even living in an area without gentrification, this could really foster a vitalization of businesses and nonprofits. https://lnkd.in/e8mu62V7

I appreciate the creativity of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving as the sector continues to rethink capacity building. Some years ago, while planning a conference for the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, I had the opportunity to connect with the Hartford Foundation and I found their commitment to capacity building impressive. As I've written about several times in the past five years or so, including a #trends2023 article I wrote with Trish Abalo, capacity building is a process...a long one at that! Too often we confuse capacity building with technical assistance. They are not the same thing! Technical assistance is focused on solving a problem or learning a new skill. Yes, it's necessary for funders to support technical assistance (TA) needs of their grantee partners, AND it's important to go beyond TA. Technical assistance is part of capacity building, the two must go hand-in-hand. This is what Hartford's Social Enterprise Accelerator program does. The foundation invested in organizations learning new skills for building fee-based revenue (TA), and the 30-month program (yes, two and a half years!) guides organization through business planning, implementation, and first year growth. The resources are available for success! As we consider the example of Hartford, and others, there are some key lessons for us to rethink capacity building... 💡 Long-term investments are crucial 💡 Centering racial equity is a must 💡 Unrestricted, multi-year grants ARE capacity building 💡 Asset-based approaches are more effective 💡 Culture matters (a LOT!) 💡 Systems thinking is critical (and yes, it's connected to racial equity!) 💡 Centering care and rest builds capacity for the long-term 💡 Unrestricted, multi-year grants are capacity building (in case you didn't hear it in the back!) What else is needed for effective capacity building? Would love to hear your ideas in the comments! #capacitybuilding #nonprofitleadership #equitymatters

#Nonprofits #Building #Social #Capital in #Communities (1); "Uncharitable," the #Movie (2); Donor Prospect #Analytics 101 (3); #Philanthropy's #Movement Accountable Intermediaries (4): https://ow.ly/KOeQ50Rjgp0 https://ow.ly/3p4e50RjgoZ https://ow.ly/FeRs50RjgoW https://ow.ly/NrNS50RjgoY

As we wade into supporting a group of regional grantmakers focused on supporting #climateresilience and thriving communities, the attached piece caught our eyes (thank you Penn Loh and Nonprofit Quarterly). And what caught our ears was the beautiful sharing in our initial meeting of aspirations of this collaborative of funders, which aligns with the article and what we hear from the "grassroots": 🌺 Community Inclusion: involve other community-based organizations in sharing resources and being part of a significant moment of collective action. 🌺 Community Decision-Making: emphasize the importance of community input in deciding how public funds are utilized. 🌺 Equity in Grant-Making: maintain fairness in philanthropy and grant-making processes, holding hashtag #equity as a fundamental principle. 🌺 Community Focus Over Monetary: promote resilient #relationships and #systemsthinking in and across all areas (rural, urban, suburban) 🌺 Community Empowerment: view investment as an opportunity to empower communities and leverage their collective strength. Also adding these last two paragraphs from the linked article: "Our funding partners are ... transforming themselves. One says, 'I am no longer interested in providing funding to the nonprofit industrial complex.…I’m interested in supporting change, and community #selfdetermination.' Another agrees that infrastructure needs to be a focus: 'Funders like to give money to what’s sexy, to what’s out there on the streets. They want to see people canvassing, on the picket line, on the marches; but…out of their own #privilege, they forget that to get that done, there is a lot of unseen labor.' "Ultimately, funders engaging in a co-creation process share #power and relinquish exclusive control over resources. As one anchor leader reminds us, 'Sharing power comes with #trust.' This shift is simple to say, though challenging to do, for #philanthropy. The key point, one funding partner said to us, is 'to open their hearts to our communities.'"

I wonder what it would make possible if we renamed 'non-profit organizations' as 'community wealth enterprises' as a more accurate reflection of how we're structured in the sector? Inspired by the definition and examples in this article. Notably the key feature of non-profits as organizations where: "communities have direct ownership and control of their assets." https://lnkd.in/gqUzBRyF

Citi Foundation Unveils 2024 Global Innovation Challenge, Pledging $25 Million to Propel Nonprofits Combatting Homelessness In a move echoing their commitment to housing security, the Citi Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2024 Global Innovation Challenge. This initiative aims to provide $25 million in catalytic funding to 50 groundbreaking nonprofits addressing homelessness worldwide. Highlighting the escalating global concern of housing insecurity, Citi recognizes the pivotal role stable housing plays in fostering economic and social well-being. Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation, emphasizes the need for unique solutions, stating, "Today, homelessness is on the rise in many communities around the world, and it manifests itself in different ways – all of which require unique solutions." The Global Innovation Challenge builds on Citi's commendable track record in affordable housing, including being recognized as the top affordable housing lender in the U.S. for 13 consecutive years. Citi's extensive contributions, such as financing $30.2 billion toward affordable housing globally and supporting innovative startups through the Citi Impact Fund, underscore their dedication. The application deadline for eligible organizations is Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 12 pm New York Time, with recipients announced later in the year. For details on eligibility and target geographies, visit www.citifoundation.com/rfp Citi Foundation, through its "More than Philanthropy" approach, continues to drive economic progress and improve lives globally. Their mission involves increasing financial inclusion, catalyzing youth job opportunities, and reimagining approaches for economically vibrant communities. For further information, visit www.citifoundation.com. Contact: Andrew Talbot, Citi Foundation Communications / andrew.talbot@citi.com

'Though many in the sector may think that the highest leverage work is systems change, Dunning argues that what is instead needed is structural change, which will not come from systems change. Systems change focuses on making a system work better. Structural change is about changing systems. Ultimately, that is the change marginalized people seek—to no longer be marginalized.' '... while the work of nonprofits is not unimportant, it is inadequate for the social change we seek: “Instead, the slow work of building social movements and growing political power has been the most productive path to structural change; it is no accident that those activities have been the hardest to measure or track, and the hardest to get funded.”' https://lnkd.in/gypEZbXV #philanthropy #nonprofits #democracy #systemschange #structuralchange

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are often deeply entrenched in the places they serve and well suited to address social and economic disparities among communities that historically have experienced a lack of investment. But more often than not, the traditional finance sector fails to provide CBOs with the funding they need due to their small size and local focus. CBOs have connections with residents that give them a close understanding of what their neighbors and neighborhoods need—in ways other organizations and larger nonprofits do not. By providing additional capital to CBOs, community development financial institutions and other funders could help to spur equitable and locally driven community development efforts. The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)’s pilot program in New Jersey aims to do just that. Working with CBOs focused on racial equity, NFF is supporting efforts to make their visions for their neighborhoods a reality by increasing access to affordable housing and community facilities. With a $5M loan from RWJF, our team is excited to see the impact of this new program. Learn more about this pilot program and its key principles: https://rwjf.ws/4adqlTB

CATHERINE DONNELLY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN Prioritizing equity-deserving communities and supporting grantees with multi-year funding and greater collaboration. The Catherine Donnelly Foundation introduces a new five-year strategic plan for our grantees, partners and peers that is rooted in equity, diversity and belonging and offers impactful, collaborative responses to our greatest societal challenges.   Strategic Directions, 2023-2028: new challenges, bold responses is the Foundation’s blueprint to address the climate emergency, the housing crisis and a loss of faith in democracy that have caused deepened economic hardship and greater social injustice for our most underserved community members.   Designed to advance justice, equity and inclusion through deeper collaboration – and in a manner that is meaningful and directed by those communities – this plan offers expanded support for grantees including increased multi-year funding opportunities and low-barrier applications and reporting.   The plan contains a renewed Vision and Mission that continues our critical work in the areas of affordable housing, the environment and civic engagement for social change and affirms our all-encompassing commitment to empowering equity-deserving groups.   “The conditions in which we grant have changed over two decades and demand new shared approaches that prioritize flexibility, trust-based principles and the willingness to make bold choices,” says CDF Board Chair Anne-Marie Jackson.   “We aim to be a funder that listens, reflects and responds to individual, organizational and broader societal challenges to strengthen capacity and build solutions with communities” says Claire Barcik, Executive Director of the Catherine Donnelly Foundation. “With this plan we hope to reach and support organizations and communities traditionally excluded by philanthropy.”   The Foundation is grateful to over 80 allies who provided input to create this document: grantees, applicants, partner organizations, foundation peers, impact investors, board members, committee members and staff. Implementation of the Strategic Directions plan will be staggered over the five-year period and intentionally based on ongoing learning, research, consultation and collaboration.   Read an executive summary of the report at https://lnkd.in/gfbJUCUC.

While we may all feel a bit dismayed by the stagnation of policy progress in Washington, DC, I am optimistic about the work happening in states and cities to tackle some of the nation's most complex challenges. My optimism comes from the partnerships that are being forged between civic leaders -- mayors, in particular -- and philanthropy. >> Former Indianapolis mayor and Harvard University professor Stephen Goldsmith told me how policymakers and businesses can build stronger and more inclusive economies, alongside philanthropy. "One of the reasons that philanthropic partnerships are so impactful at the municipal level is that they can challenge the status quo and spark -- or scale -- solutions that bring community members to the table. Philanthropic capital is often the best way to take risks on the sort of cross-sector solutions to address these grand challenges." I took interest in the work of Siegel Family Endowment and the philanthropic commitment made in the city of #Atlanta under the leadership of Joshua Elder, and the investments made in #Birmingham through Birmingham Promise and Prosper Birmingham with mayor Randall Woodfin and J. W. Carpenter. I also expect that #Denver's mayor Mike Johnston is likely to lean on his #philanthropic roots in part to solve the #homelessness challenge facing the city. A paper written by my Whiteboard Advisors colleague, Erica Price Burns inspired this recent piece (and is linked in the article). My latest in Forbes.